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Zieu
2011-02-06, 10:27 AM
The short and sweet: virtually of my characters thus far consist of the Core races/classes, and I'm looking to branch out a bit. Lo and behold, I thought I'd start with a Warforged, haha :smallsmile: I know it's not SRD material (and OGL something something...?), so does anyone knows of a player-written guide or write-up on how to play a Warforged? I hope that's allowed, though I admit I'm a bit fuzzy on copyright infringement whatnot. If such information isn't supposed to be posted, let me know and I'll edit this post.

Help is greatly appreciated.

JeminiZero
2011-02-06, 10:50 AM
Warforged tend to wind up as melee beatsticks, due to their Con bonus. In particular, they are immune to fatigue, so they suffer no penalty after Barbarian rage/Berserker Frenzy ends. And of course if your DM permits ToB, they also make fine Warblades (Not so much Swordsage or Crusaders though due to their Wis/Cha penalty).

They can also be used as Int based casters (Archivist, Wizard, Beguiler, Psion), or as straight rogues, but they don't have any special advantages for this role (beyond the handy fact that their considerable immunities help compensate for a weak Fort Save, although this comes at the price of a feat tax).

Really, they fill nearly any role that you want to build around (Tank, Healer, Arcanist, Skill Monkey). So the question is what sort of Warforged do you want to make.

Psyren
2011-02-06, 11:21 AM
They can also be used as Int based casters (Archivist, Wizard, Beguiler, Psion), or as straight rogues, but they don't have any special advantages for this role (beyond the handy fact that their considerable immunities help compensate for a weak Fort Save, although this comes at the price of a feat tax).

Au contraire - the advantage of a Warforged Wizard, Psion or Artificer is the easy access to self-healing through the Repair Damage line.

A WF wizard, however, is at a disadvantage due to the spell failure on their composite plating, but Artificers and Psions don't have to worry about that.

Psions can get an additional bonus via Psiforged Body, which lets them become living cognizance crystals. This translates to a bonus 6th-level slot at 20.

LOTRfan
2011-02-06, 11:54 AM
The Warforged Wizard can take the Unarmored body feat from Races of Eberron. No spell failure chance, at all.

drakir_nosslin
2011-02-06, 11:56 AM
The Warforged Wizard can take the Unarmored body feat from Races of Eberron. No spell failure chance, at all.

True, but you have to waste a feat on it, which the wizard is always wanting more of.

Welknair
2011-02-06, 11:58 AM
If your DM is open to some decent Homebrew work, I'd suggest you take a look here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182666) for extra options. Not really a guide, but adds some much needed options.

Lateral
2011-02-06, 11:59 AM
Yeah, but they've just spent a feat to do it. Not really any advantage there. Edit: Ninja'ed.

I like Warforged Shapers, for the reasons that Psyren mentioned, and barbarians, for the same reason as Jemini. They also can make good dragonfire adepts 'cause of the CON bonus, though the CHA penalty means you'll be focusing on no-save and/or self-buff invocations (frankly, this is where invocations shine anyway, so no worries here), and the image of a fire-breathing magic robot is second only to fire-breathing death kitties.

Psyren
2011-02-06, 12:19 PM
The Con bonus also lends itself well to Incarnum. I always wanted to do a Warforged meldshaper - a deactivated shell that ended up animated by the souls of hundreds of creatures instead of just one.

"We are Ermac"

Voidhawk
2011-02-06, 12:25 PM
They also can make good dragonfire adepts 'cause of the CON bonus, though the CHA penalty means you'll be focusing on no-save and/or self-buff invocations (frankly, this is where invocations shine anyway, so no worries here), and the image of a fire-breathing magic robot is second only to fire-breathing death kitties.

Yeah, I've always wanted to play a Warforged Dragonfire Adept, and fluff it as an experimental "Special Weapons 'Forged", with insane pyromaniac programming. He'd spew fire and acid, and the Wings invocation would be a rocket-pack...

After all, if you can't play a walking flamethrower in Eberron, where can you? :smallsmile:

Lateral
2011-02-06, 12:37 PM
Frankly, Warforged (outside of Eberron, anyway) and Tibbits are probably the two D&D races most conducive to comedic builds. Magic robots are hilarious with a lot of things outside steampunk worlds, and adventurer kittens are hilarious always.

Bayar
2011-02-06, 12:53 PM
True, but you have to waste a feat on it, which the wizard is always wanting more of.

It should be enough compensation when you realise that the feat also lets you wear something in your body slot.

Lateral
2011-02-06, 12:58 PM
It should be enough compensation when you realise that the feat also lets you wear something in your body slot.
And non-Warforged casters can't? :smallconfused:

The point here is that a Warforged gets no INT bonus and has to spend a feat in order to not have any ASF, in exchange for a few minor bonuses and some better self-healing (really, not a big deal anyway.) It usually isn't worth it. On the other hand, a Warforged Psion doesn't have ASF, so it can get Adamantine Body instead of Unarmored Body and have a way better AC than other Psions at level 1.

MeeposFire
2011-02-06, 04:20 PM
And non-Warforged casters can't? :smallconfused:

The point here is that a Warforged gets no INT bonus and has to spend a feat in order to not have any ASF, in exchange for a few minor bonuses and some better self-healing (really, not a big deal anyway.) It usually isn't worth it. On the other hand, a Warforged Psion doesn't have ASF, so it can get Adamantine Body instead of Unarmored Body and have a way better AC than other Psions at level 1.

Nope the plating counts as taking your body slot for magical items. So no robes for you on a normal forge.

Warforged make great unarmed characters and are one of the best races for the maligned monk class.

Lateral
2011-02-06, 04:56 PM
Nope the plating counts as taking your body slot for magical items. So no robes for you on a normal forge.

You misunderstood me, somehow. I was saying that even though Unarmored Body lets you wear magic robes in your body slot, any caster that's not warforged can do that without even having to spend a feat. :smallannoyed:

Endarire
2011-02-06, 05:28 PM
Power Armor (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10279.0[/i)

Also, a Warforged Psion (especially Shaper) can make for a spiffy "mech" on its own. Energy ray becomes eye lasers. Repair damage becomes self-repairing nanobots, etc.

Regarding Warforged and body slots, I just wear armor and items over my composite plating. Only the highest bonuses and penalties apply. So there.

Toptomcat
2011-02-06, 05:28 PM
Warforged make excellent Totemists with their Con bonus, natural slam attack, and RoE feat that gives them an extra slam attack.

Endarire
2011-02-06, 06:08 PM
Going Dragonborn will remove Composite Plating and arcane spell failure.

RaggedAngel
2011-02-06, 06:15 PM
Regarding Warforged and body slots, I just wear armor and items over my composite plating. Only the highest bonuses and penalties apply. So there.

Races of Ebberon specifically says that you cannot do this.

A DM could rule otherwise, of course, but rules-wise it doesn't work.

Trekkin
2011-02-06, 06:24 PM
As has been stated above, Warforged Artificers and Shapers make excellent use of the race's abilities, especially if the former can take substitution levels. Other than that, Juggernaut levels on a tank can make an almost literal tank with a long list of immunities.

The thing to remember about Warforged is that they are not living and are not subject to the weaknesses of the living. They can maintain an around-the-clock vigil by themselves, lie in wait underwater for days without moving, stride through poison gas uninhibited, and heal themselves with Craft checks. It's less a matter of class choice and more a matter of playstyle, but it's a tremendous asset.

stainboy
2011-02-06, 07:34 PM
Classes/builds that synergize with warforged racials:

Monk. Composite plating doesn't count as wearing armor so you get +2 AC, and more importantly you're allowed to have armor enchantments. Buy a Battlefist to deal unarmed strike damage as a Large creature AND slap an enhancement bonus on your fists. Now your monk has proper magic item scaling!

Artificer. Don't be fooled, the Cha penalty doesn't matter. UMD is a skill and skill bonuses are cheap. What, is the DM going to tell you can't buy an item that gives +5 to UMD checks? You're an artificer. You're also a valid target for all those artificer spells that only work on constructs, and you get some sweet substitution levels from Races of Eberron for (among other things) an intelligent weapon familiar.

Ubercharger / Warforged Juggernaut. A 5th level warforged juggernaut deals 3d8+Strength+magic armor spikes bonus on a charging bull rush. Combine with Dungeoncrasher and Shock Trooper for ludicrous damage. It's a one-trick pony, but your one trick turns any beatstickable enemy into a red smear. Plus you're immune to mind effects and SoDs.


Also, what Trekkin just said. Abusing your racial immunities gets you at least as far as class synergy. You can fight in a Stinking Cloud, Cloudkill, or Summon Swarm and meatbags can't.